


Don't drink, kids

by JaxMan



Series: Tales from my Pastebin [10]
Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 08:40:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22847326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaxMan/pseuds/JaxMan
Summary: Fun fact: this takes place during the events of my AngelPent story!
Series: Tales from my Pastebin [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1641502
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	Don't drink, kids

Always add the liquor before the mixer. The alcohol is lighter than water, so it rises to the top and incorporates with the drink.  
That was the only science fact Husker knew, and the only one he gave a shit about.  
The Slippy Mick had seen better days. In the 80s, it was a pretty nice place. He'd hang out and make sports bets with the strangers there. Hell, he'd even hung out with his old squad mates, a long time ago.  
But there wasn't much to say.  
Now, the bar was a grimy shell of what it had been. Maybe that's why he felt like he belonged there.  
That, and the beer was pretty cheap.  
"$20 on number five." Some of the other patrons were gambling, it seemed.  
The static-filled tv was always tuned to the sports channel. This time, it looked like a drag race. No, wait, a demolition derby.  
"You gonna bet, Husk?" Darryl, the boar-headed bartender, always pretended to care about him. He just didn't want to lose his last regular, but it was appreciated.  
"Nah, I'm broke as shit. New job pays fuck-all."  
"Why'd you take it, then?"  
Husker's lips raised in what could almost pass for a smile.  
"Free booze."  
Darryl gave a snort. A laugh? Who could tell?  
"Yet you still come to the bar."  
The winged demon dropped the happy face.  
"Never said it was good booze."  
Three or four beers ago, Husk would have noticed the door open for another demon.  
He did, however, notice her plop down on the adjacent barstool.  
"Here's a twenty. I wanna forget the whole day." Was that...?  
"Niffty?"  
But she was already chugging a mimosa.

Bedrooms. Two clean, sixteen to go. Ballroom needs vacuuming, also a light dusting. Laundry should be fine for another day. But what if it isn't? Oh, man, the lounge! She hadn't cleaned the lounge!  
Alastor wasn't a bad boss. He cared about her, didn't put her in danger, was a man, and looked really, really good in a suit.  
But holy FUCK, this was too much.  
She had to clean an entire hotel, by herself, and have it ready for the public by the WEEKEND. What if there was still dust in the main hall? What if people come in to find dirty sinks? And toilets? What if Alastor didn't like her afterward?  
Screaming into a pillow, crying into a pillow, punching the pillow, apologizing to the pillow, none of her usual tricks worked.  
Maybe she needed another solution.  
The liquid kind.

She attacked that booze like a fucking champion, all right. Hardly even stopped to breathe, just one drink after another. Even Darryl looked worried.  
"I, uh, think you've had enough."  
Niffty slammed down her fourth glass of wine, sloshing it all over the bar.  
"I'LL TELL YOU WHEN I'VE HAD ENOUGH!"  
She must have seen their faces, because one startled, awkward moment later she nervously smiled.  
"If that's okay with you, of course."  
"...Suit yourself." The bartender quietly shuffled away as Husk suppressed a chuckle. A grown-ass man like him looking scared of a little girl lifted his mood, if just a little.  
Not that he was wrong. The kid must've had her body weight in alcohol by now.  
Sure enough, her demeanor changed after the a few more drinks.  
"...Husk?"  
"Yeah?"  
"I don't feel good."  
"Well, th-"  
He was cut off by the sound of a tiny demon falling off a barstool.  
Ah, hell.  
"Alright, let's get you back to the hotel."

When Niffty was a teenager, she got to ride her first rollercoaster. She remembered how it twisted, turned, and looped around.  
This was like the world's worst fucking rollercoaster.  
Was her head spinning, or the room? Both? She looked up at the ceiling. It didn't look like it was moving, but it sure felt that way.  
Wait, since when was she on the floor?  
"Alright, let's get you back to the hotel."  
Then, a pair of soft hands lifted her up. Her head came to a rest on Husk's shoulder.  
"Husk..."  
Poor Husk looked so tired. But he still would carry her back.  
"Yeah?"  
"I feel sick..."  
"Puke on me and I drop you."  
Fair enough.

The rest of the night was spent with Niffty leaning over a bucket, husk holding her steady.  
He would not envy her in the morning.  
"Lounge..." Christ, she sounded like she was dying.  
"What?"  
"I still have to do the lounge..."  
Piss drunk, sick as hell, and she still was thinking about work. What a trooper.  
"I can get the lounge. You're gonna need rest."  
He'd taken over countless shifts for hungover coworkers, and they'd done the same for him.  
Besides, everyone's gotta learn their limits sometime, right?  
"Arigatou..." What was that, Spanish? He'd have to ask later. Maybe that 'Vaggie' chick would know.  
Or, maybe she'd tell him to go fuck himself. Who knows?

Niffty woke up alone in her room. That was normal.  
She was still drunk from the previous night. That was not.  
The alcohol did nothing to impair her ability to worry. What time was it? Was she late for work? She looked desperately around for her alarm clock, hoping she hadn't slept in, that-  
4:30 a.m.  
Oh.  
Plenty of time to get ready!  
As she slid out of bed, still in last night's clothes and makeup (that wouldn't do!), the nausea hit.  
She almost fell, barely catching herself.  
Oh, man. She'd done it this time. Alastor would be so mad, she'd never get the work done in time, and-  
What was that on the nightstand?  
A glass of water. She didn't remember putting that there. And something else, something with a note.  
'Niffty- told the staff you were feeling sick. Try to sleep in. Have some water, too. If you're hungry, there's a box of saltine crackers. They aren't hard to keep down, even with a hangover.  
'Also, don't worry about work. I told Big Al I'd cover your shift, he said it was okay.  
Take care.  
-Husk'  
His handwriting was horrible, but it was a relief nonetheless. She'd have to thank him somehow.  
She had a sip of water. A shower sounded good to her still-drunk mind.  
Hopefully, Husk knew how to use a vacuum cleaner.

"How the fuck do I use this thing?"  
"It's simple! You just flip the on switch..." Charlie clearly had no idea what she was talking about. He'd flipped every switch on the damn thing, and none would make it work.  
Who designs a washing machine like this?  
"Why can't we just take it to a laundromat? I got some change!"  
The demon princess only took a deep, exasperated breath and beamed at him.  
"No, Husker, it's about self-reliance! Do you just rely on other people to do everything for you?" She was trying really, really hard to keep smiling, he could tell.  
"That's not why you hired us?" That got rid of her veneer of happiness. Now, it was just grouchy frustration on her face.  
"Husker?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Do your job."  
"...Fine."  
As he tried to figure the washing machine out once more, he heard Charlie's voice again.  
"Um, Husk?"  
"Yeah?"  
"I'm pretty sure that's the dryer..."  
He had a long fucking shift ahead of him.

8:30 a.m.  
She was mostly sober, and only had a slightly worse headache than normal.  
Time to go to work.  
She hopped into her uniform, put on fresh makeup, and headed out to meet the day.  
Husk had taken over the morning shift, sure, but he couldn't also do the noon, afternoon, and night shifts!  
And he was a man. Not that she had anything against men, but experience told her that would be an issue when it came to cleaning.  
As she headed down the hall, shaking sleep from her eyes, two voices became audible.  
"Well, how can I know what she was saying if you don't remember?"  
That one was Vaggie. She was nice to Niffty, but kind of crabby around Alastor and that spider-looking fellow.  
"I, uh, didn't think about that. Hm."  
Oh, and Husker!  
She rounded the corner.  
"Hi Vaggie! Hey, Husker!"  
"Hey, Niffty! Feeling better?"  
"Yep! Feel great. Ready to take on my shift!"  
Vaggie looked concerned. Not that there was any reason for her to be.  
"You sure you're good for it?"  
Niffty nodded. There was nothing in the world she couldn't do that didn't involve reaching high places or standing still for extended periods of time!  
"By the way," Vaggie added, "do you speak Spanish?"  
"Nope! Just English and Japanese!" Husk looked sheepish.  
"Oh, uh, that must have been it."  
"Spanish, Husk? Really?"  
"It was just a guess!"

It'd been a long day. Trying to keep Angel Dust out of the booze, figuring out the cleaning equipment, actually *cleaning,* all added up to a massive clusterfuck. Still, Niffty needed his help.  
Husker sat on his unmade bed, surrounded by empties. Why did he do all that, anyway? Not like he owed her, or anything.  
There was a knock on the door.  
"Yeah?"  
"Hi. It's me." Nifty?  
Husk looked around his living space. He hadn't even been working at the hotel for a month, and the room was a disaster.  
"Uh, yeeah, about that..."  
Didn't matter. She opened the door anyway.  
At least he didn't have his dick out.  
"Oh, man. It's messier than I thought in here." Immediately, the little demon started cleaning.  
"It's fine, you don't have to-" She didn't let him finish.  
"You helped me, I'm helping you." Husker supposed that she did owe him one.  
"Uh, thanks kid, but-" She quickly began picking up empties.  
"I died in the '50s, not a kid." She was dusting the nightstand.  
"Oh, uh, yeah. Good point." Making the bed.  
"I know!" Cheerily sweeping the floor.  
"Hey, you want me to help, or...?" Sorting the dirty laundry.  
"Nope! Almost done!"  
And before he knew it, she was.  
"Damn. That was quick."  
"Thanks!"  
Then he remembered what he was going to ask.  
"Hey, last night, you said something in... Japanese?"  
She paused for a moment, scrunching her face in thought.  
Husk had to admit, that was kind of cute, even to him.  
"Arigatou? It means 'thank you.'"  
For the first time that day, he smiled, if just a little.  
Then she hugged him.  
Husk didn't like people getting close, especially like this, but the little demon had charm.  
As she buried her face in his belly, he couldn't help but place a hand on her back.  
A knock came from the bedroom door, followed by a certain demon's voice.  
"Hey, Husker~"  
"Busy, Angel." The fuck did he want?  
"Too busy for *me?*"  
Niffty snapped back at him.  
"He said he's busy!"  
There was a moment of silence. Then, the spider's muffled voice, more to himself than anyone else.  
"Welp, guess I'll see if the Snake Boy's home."

He was so soft! Like a big stuffed animal. She could just bury her face in his fur.  
Before she knew it, she was doing exactly that.  
He even put a hand on her back.  
Even after Angel's interruption, she didn't mind just staying there.  
She could have even fallen asleep after Husk flopped onto his back.  
She rubbed a hand over him. So soft...  
So warm...  
She could just...  
"...zzz..."

Was she... petting him? Not the first time someone did that. First time he let it happen, though.  
It wasn't a bad feeling. Just depended on the person, is all.  
Niffty was one of the right people.  
After she fell asleep, Husk may have dozed off, too.

**Author's Note:**

> I never finished this one either, someone else ended up writing an ending for it. I don't have a link, though.


End file.
